Prince

3121

Prince3121(NPG)Prince is back, not only in name but sheer musical force. Musicology wasn’t the comeback everyone hoped for—3121 is. Musicology seemed to be made specifically as a commercial comeback; 3121 lacks the feel of classic Prince for the sake of classic Prince. The record has a great cohesive structure that works Prince’s various musical moods back and forth, recapturing not only the classic vibe but also a fresh sound Prince has lacked since his fallout with Warner Brothers. Unlike the ’80s albums, he does not create anything new, but it does show that he’s still a vital, interesting artist. 3121 is one of, if not the, best Prince record since his creative peak in the mid-’80s.—Trevor MacLaren